Separator Rotating In Plane Of Foremost Sheet Patents (Class 271/113)
  • Patent number: 11310388
    Abstract: A scanner includes a reading unit that reads an image of a paper, a medium feeding portion that is capable of selecting a first feeding mode in which a separation feeding for separately feeding a paper bundle in which a plurality of sheets of paper is overlapped with each other is performed and a second feeding mode in which a non-separation feeding for collectively feeding the paper bundle without separating is performed, and a pair of first transporting rollers and a pair of second transporting rollers that transport the paper fed by the medium feeding portion, in a case in which the medium feeding portion feeds the paper in the second feeding mode, a first driven roller and a second driven roller respectively constituting the pair of first transporting rollers and the pair of second transporting rollers are driven in a rotation direction where the paper is transported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Tezuka, Noriyuki Koyanagi, Naoki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11299364
    Abstract: In an example printing device may include a tray to receive print media sheets, and a paddle roller to rotate about an axis and move individual print media sheets of the print media sheets to abut an end register of the tray and form a stack of print media sheets, and the paddle roller rotate a first quantity of rotations per print media sheet based in response to a determination that the stack of print media sheets corresponds to a first height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Rohman, Matthew Raisanen
  • Patent number: 11267667
    Abstract: In one example, a media feed system includes a pick arm that is adjustable at a pivot and operable to maintain a distance between a pick roller and a separation wall as the pick arm changes orientation. In another example, a media feed system may include a pick arm, a pick roller coupled to the pick arm, a pivot coupled to the pick arm, and a plate coupled to the pivot via a pin and slot interface. In that example, a slot of the pin and slot interface is to adjust position of the pivot and adjust orientation of the pick arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wesley R Schalk, Al Olson
  • Patent number: 11203498
    Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes a mounting section on which a medium to be fed is mounted, a feeding roller configured to feed the medium mounted on the mounting section, a separation roller configured to nip and separate the medium with the feeding roller therebetween, and a regulation section disposed downstream of the nipping position between the feeding roller and the separation roller, the regulation section being configured to regulate the contact of the medium to be fed and the separation roller by coming into contact with the medium from the side of the separation roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichiro Fukumasu, Tomoyuki Mokuo, Hiromichi Kitsuki, Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 9022380
    Abstract: A sheet feeding roller 101 which feeds a sheet S stacked on a sheet supporting plate 110 capable of being lifted and lowered is swingably supported at a swing end of a sheet feeding roller supporting arm 104 which is arranged swingably in an up-and-down direction and a roller biasing member applies a force to the sheet feeding roller supporting arm in a direction that the sheet feeding roller is pressed to sheets S stacked on a sheet stack tray. A swing fulcrum 104a is arranged in a range between a tangential line of the sheet feeding roller at the upstreammost pressing position against the sheet feeding direction and a tangential line of the sheet feeding roller at the downstreammost pressing position out of pressing positions where the sheet feeding roller is pressed to the sheets as being varied in accordance with a sheet stacking state of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kosuga
  • Patent number: 8475069
    Abstract: In a portable small size printer unit 1, when a pickup roller is replaced, user grips a roller main body and slides it resisting a bias force of a spring. Consequently, when the roller main body is slid, the entire length of the pickup roller is shortened, so that a first convex portion is removed from a first concave portion. After that, the front end of a slide shaft member is removed from a shaft mounting portion by tilting the roller main body and then, the pickup roller is removed from the printing mechanism unit. By sliding the slide shaft member outward of the roller main body, the roller main body is taken out of the slide shaft member and the like so as to replace only the roller main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8348257
    Abstract: A retard roller of an automatic document feeder provides a frictional force to separate plural documents from each other. The retard roller can provide a first damping torque and a second damping torque with different directions. The second damping torque is smaller than the first damping torque. As such, the frictional force exerted on the document is reduced for returning the document out of the automatic document feeder. A retard roller module having such a retard roller is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Liang Chen, Ping-Hung Kuo, Chien-Kuo Kuan
  • Patent number: 8272635
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a medium placing portion on which a medium is placed, a feed roller rotatably provided in contact with the medium placed on the medium placing portion so as to feed the medium, guide members disposed on both sides of the feed roller for guiding the medium being fed. The guide members are movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the medium. A biasing unit is provided for biasing the guide members in a direction toward the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Wakana
  • Patent number: 8066274
    Abstract: A retard roller of an automatic document feeder provides a frictional force to separate plural documents from each other. The retard roller can provide a first damping torque and a second damping torque with different directions. The second damping torque is smaller than the first damping torque. As such, the frictional force exerted on the document is reduced for returning the document out of the automatic document feeder. A retard roller module having such a retard roller is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Liang Chen, Ping-Hung Kuo, Chien-Kuo Kuan
  • Patent number: 7694954
    Abstract: A sheet pick-up device includes a sheet pick-up arm, a driving shaft and a collar. The sheet pick-up arm has a sleeve at the outside surface thereof. The driving shaft is penetrated through the sheet pick-up arm and the sleeve. The collar is sheathed around the driving shaft and includes at least one flexible vane in contact with the inner surface of the sleeve. The height of the flexible vane relative to the outer surface of the collar is greater than the radial distance between the outer surface of the collar and the inner surface of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Primax Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsin-Wen Lee
  • Patent number: 7690884
    Abstract: A device for separating battery plates from stacks comprises a lifting device (30) with which vertical stacks (14) are gradually lifted to a plate placer (51). The plate placer (51) lifts the uppermost plate from the stack (14) and places it onto a conveyor belt (60), whose loading end is located underneath the plate placer (51) and which comprises conveying elements (61) that are moved underneath the plate placer (51) after a plate has been lifted from the stack (14). The delivery end of the conveyor belt (60) is situated underneath the loading end of a vacuum conveyor belt (70). The vacuum conveyor belt (70) receives separated plates from the conveyor belt (60) and moves them to devices located downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Inventors: Anton Schwetz, Thomas Rotbart, Hans Schnur, Friedrich Ilgoutz
  • Patent number: 7669845
    Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes at least one sheet dispensing mechanism (34, 36, 38, 40, 210). Each sheet dispensing mechanism includes a picking member (72, 212). The picking member rotates, and with each rotation causes an end sheet to be picked from a stack (42, 264) of sheets. The picking member (212) includes an arcuate projecting portion (258) that reduces the risk of damage to the leading edge areas of sheets due to opposed picking and stripping forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Diebold Self-Service Systems division of Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: H. Thomas Graef, Ken Kontor, Michael Harty, Brian Jones
  • Publication number: 20090322015
    Abstract: Automatic machine (26) for the deposit and withdrawal of cash, assisted by operator, comprising an input port (33) for a bundle of banknotes (36), a separating device (37) for the bundle of banknotes, a validation device (38) for banknotes separated from the bundle, an output port (39) and an input/output opening (41) for a recycling store (52). The machine (26) has a structure of compact dimensions for use in a banking workstation and comprises a third transaction port (43), for instance a reject/unfit port, and a moving mechanism actuatable for transporting the banknotes from the input port (33), and through the validation device (38), to the output port (39), or to the reject/un-fit port (43), and/or to the input/output opening as function of dispensing of the banknotes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Gastone Cognome Mantovan, Enrico Cognome Colecchia
  • Patent number: 7581830
    Abstract: A supporting member is swingable about an imaginary swing axis that is parallel to an imaginary rotational axis of a feeding roller. The imaginary swing axis is located above a recording medium accommodated in a recording-medium accommodating section and is located upstream in a feeding direction of the recording medium with respect to the imaginary rotational axis. A first urging member is configured to apply an urging force to the support member in such a manner that the feeding roller contacts the recording medium accommodated in the recording-medium accommodating section. A second urging member is configured to urge an end of the supporting member in a direction that increases the urging force of the first urging member when an angle between a surface of the recording medium and a plane containing both the imaginary rotational axis and the imaginary swing axis is smaller than a predetermined angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kozaki, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 7578499
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus for conveying a flexible sheet along a sheet-convey path including a curved portion. The conveying apparatus includes an outer guide which defines an outer portion of the curved portion of the sheet-convey path. The outer guide includes a guide base including a recessed portion; at least one guide roller including a roller body and a pair of shaft portions that are formed integrally with the roller body; and a curved plate having a first curved guide surface which guides the flexible sheet, and including at least one bearing portion which bears the at least one guide roller such that a portion of the roller body projects inward from the first curved guide surface and the roller body is rotatable about axis of the shaft portions. The recessed portion of the guide base holds the curved plate such that the shaft portions of the at least one guide roller extend in a widthwise direction of the sheet-convey path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusaku Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7435025
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an accommodation section, an image recording section, an outer arcuate guide member, an inner arcuate guide member, and a feeding section. Recording media are stacked on the accommodation section. The image recording section forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction. The outer arcuate guide member connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section. The outer arcuate guide member guides the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section to an insertion port of the image recording section. The inner arcuate guide member is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member. A passage is defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member. The passage allows the recording medium to displace in a thickness direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naokazu Tanahashi, Yukio Shiohara, Yusaku Watanabe, Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 7410161
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus comprises a sheet stacking portion for stacking sheets thereon, a sheet feeding rotating member for feeding the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, a stopper for regulating the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, and a rotatable gear adapted to hold the stopper at the regulating position of regulating the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, by engaging with the stopper. In this construction, the engagement of the gear and the stopper is released when the gear is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7410160
    Abstract: A paper pick-up unit of an image forming apparatus includes an elliptical pick-up rubber having a first arcuate part and a second arcuate part. The first and second arcuate parts are symmetrical to each other and contact a paper. A pick-up housing supports the pick-up rubber, which are attached around the circumference thereof. A first shaft opening and a second shaft opening are formed opposite to each other in the pick-up housing and are eccentrically disposed with respect to a center of the pick-up housing. A pick-up shaft is engaged with one of the first shaft opening and the second shaft opening of the pick-up housing, and is capable of rotating. The pick-up shaft is engaged with the first shaft opening of the pick-up housing for the first arcuate part of the pick-up rubber to pick up a paper. The pick-up shaft is engaged with the second shaft opening of the pick-up housing for the second arcuate part of the pick-up rubber to pick up a paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nam-gon Jeon
  • Patent number: 7387297
    Abstract: A printing system sheet feeder apparatus and method is provided. The printing system feeder includes a front nudger roll positioned near the leading edge of the top sheet of a sheet stack and the front nudger roll is capable of advancing the top sheet. In addition, the printing system sheet feeder includes a separation nip aligned with the front nudger roll, the front nudger roll being capable of receiving the top sheet advanced by the front nudger roll and advancing the top sheet in a direction away from the front nudger. A rear nudger roll is positioned near the trailing edge of the top sheet and is capable of advancing the sheet directly below the top sheet while the top sheet is being advanced by the front nudger roll and/or separation nip, thereby increasing the overall sheet feeding rate to the printing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven R. Moore
  • Patent number: 7384033
    Abstract: A feed roller unit comprises: a feed roller that abuts against a topmost sheet of a stack of sheets, and rotates to convey the topmost sheet in a conveyance direction, the feed roller being provided to be displaceable in a direction reverse to the conveyance direction while rolling on the topmost sheet; a driving force transmission unit that transmits a driving force generated by a driving source to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller; and an urging unit that provides an urging force to the feed roller in a direction to suppress the displacement of the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuo Asada
  • Patent number: 7380782
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder (ADF) having a replaceable friction roller assembly. The ADF includes a housing having a back plate which may be raised and a base pivotalby connected to the back plate, a supporting element disposed on the housing and having a shaft hole, a first engaging structure disposed on the housing, and a friction roller assembly. The friction roller assembly includes a rotating shaft, a friction roller and a first sleeve. The friction roller is fixed to the rotating shaft. The first sleeve is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft. The first sleeve has a second engaging structure which is engaged with the first engaging structure in order to rotatably and firmly mount the rotating shaft to the housing. The friction roller assembly may be replaced when the second engaging structure and the first engaging structure are disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Szu Hui Lien
  • Patent number: 7125012
    Abstract: A feed wheel includes a hub and a discontinuous tread removably fitted about the hub. At leading and trailing ends of the discontinuous tread are mateable non-planar female and male surfaces which interfit with one another and tend to interlock the tread ends together. The tread has locking lugs formed under leading and trailing ends and an intermediate segment of the tread which fit into holes configured and located in the hub complimentarily to the locking lugs. The holes and locking lugs are oriented relative to one another so as to enable the tread to be retained about the hub with the tread ends interlocked together during operation of the feed wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Inventors: Gregory James Newell, James H. Tippett
  • Patent number: 7108259
    Abstract: An apparatus to feed paper in an image forming device, which picks up papers with various thickness received in the feeding stand without a feeding error, and transfers the same to the developing unit. The apparatus includes, a feeding stand to receive a plurality of papers, and having a separating guide inclined at a predetermined angle with which the front end of the paper makes contact with; a main pickup roller that makes contact with the paper on the uppermost layer in the upper part of the feeding stand to pick up the paper towards the separating guide using frictional force generated via rotational contact with the paper; and an auxiliary pickup roller positioned between the main pickup roller and the separating guide to apply a predetermined pressure to the paper upon picking up of the paper by the main pickup roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Deuk-hwan Chang
  • Patent number: 7029003
    Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic paper feed apparatus which can reliably prevent papers from being discharged in an overlapped state in spite of simple construction. The automatic paper feed apparatus comprises a paper feed roller for automatically feeding a plurality of papers in order from an uppermost one, with the plurality of papers being contained in a cassette in a stacked state. A holding member having flexibility is provided so that the holding member comes into contact with the uppermost paper to generate a friction force that is weaker than that between the paper feed roller and the uppermost paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Takeda, Yoshihiko Ide
  • Patent number: 7004460
    Abstract: The illustrated embodiment comprises a media bias assembly for use in a hardcopy device. A driven pick roll delivers media from a stack of media to a media feed path in the hardcopy device. Media is contained in an input tray and the pick roll is mounted on one side of the centerline through the tray. A passive media bias arm having a media contacting surface on one end is configured for making contact with media contained in the input tray and is spaced apart from the pick roll on the opposite side of the centerline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Tom Ruhe, Ray Sherman
  • Patent number: 6932529
    Abstract: A printing device including a feed roller assembly, a separation pad located adjacent to the feed roller assembly, and a printer housing having an access plate. The separation pad is user-accessible when the access plate is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Dean Richtsmeier, Harold M. Miller
  • Patent number: 6877734
    Abstract: The paper feeder of the present invention includes paper supply cassettes to house sheets of paper; friction paper pickup rollers to take out sheets of paper one by one by contacting a paper placed at the top of paper in the paper supply cassettes; openings formed on the paper supply cassettes to pass the air to the side of the paper at the downstream position from the friction pickup rollers; and air blowing mechanisms to blow the air into the openings. This paper feeder is used for supplying paper for an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masataka Muratani
  • Patent number: 6874653
    Abstract: A product metering napkin dispenser includes a housing defining a storage magazine for receiving a stack of folded napkins and a metering member that penetrates the stack in order to segregate a predetermined number of napkins from the remainder of the stack for dispensing. Preferred embodiments include gravity feed napkin dispensers. In various embodiments the metering member may include: a pivoting plate cooperating with a hinged trap door support surface; a rotating semicircular disk co-rotating with a support disk; or a reciprocating jaw assembly urging napkins through an aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce T. Boone, Gregory D. Budz, Michael R. Kilgore, Jonathan R. Aumann, James B. Christensen
  • Publication number: 20040256788
    Abstract: A feed device for stacks of paper or plastic material has at least one transport unit with a supporting member for the stack and at least one transport element. A separating unit with at least one rotatably driven feed drum is provided for removing individual sheets from the stack. The transport unit transports the stack to the separating unit and is pretensioned in the transport direction toward the feed drum such that the stack rests with pretension against the feed drum. The pretension can be provided by a spring acting on the transport unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: MATHIAS BAUERLE GMBH
    Inventor: Ralph Pittelkow
  • Publication number: 20040212140
    Abstract: The illustrated embodiment comprises a media bias assembly for use in a hardcopy device. A driven pick roll delivers media from a stack of media to a media feed path in the hardcopy device. Media is contained in an input tray and the pick roll is mounted on one side of the centerline through the tray. A passive media bias arm having a media contacting surface on one end is configured for making contact with media contained in the input tray and is spaced apart from the pick roll on the opposite side of the centerline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventors: Tom Ruhe, Ray Sherman
  • Publication number: 20040178559
    Abstract: An ATM includes a currency note dispenser having a currency cassette, a note picker, a note transporter, and a note presenter. A cassette tambour door automatically opens during insertion of the cassette into the dispenser. The picker can pick notes through the opening. A spring loaded housing wall tab retains the picker shaft in mating connection with a drive pin. The transporter can move notes vertically and horizontally. The transporter includes belts between an idle shaft and a drive shaft. The idle shaft is vertically movable relative to a drive shaft to maintain belt tension. The transporter also includes convexly tapered rollers that automatically recenter a loose belt. A presenter gate is at a note dispensing outlet of the ATM. The gate is opened by actuating a lever linked with an arm connected to the gate. The gate opens by moving a pin upward in an angled slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Applicant: Diebold Self-Service Systems Division of Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Harty, H. Thomas Graef, Brian Jones, Jon E. Washington
  • Patent number: 6755413
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a cassette for containing a plurality of stacked sheets, a holding member for holding sheets from above, a pickup roller which contacts the uppermost sheet from above during one rotation, thereby feeding and transporting the uppermost sheet, a rotatable subsidiary holding member which is rotated in synchronization with a rotation of the pickup roller and in the same rotating direction as the pickup roller, and contacts and holds the sheets from above during each rotation before the pickup roller contacts the uppermost sheet. The distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the rotatable subsidiary holding member which contacts the uppermost sheet is equal to, or greater than the distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the pickup roller which contacts the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masanori Takai
  • Publication number: 20040100014
    Abstract: A paper feeder of the present invention includes a paper tray for supporting paper and pickup rollers in total width more than 40% of the maximum paper width supportable by a paper tray for taking out a paper at the top position in a specified direction. This paper feeder is used for paper feeding of image forming apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kimiaki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 6715750
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing flexible media such as cut sheets (1) from a stack has a rotatable separating member (4) which engages and reverse buckles one end of the top sheet (2) so that that end is lifted away from the stack and positioned between transport rollers (9, 10). The transport rollers (9, 10) are driven independently from the separating member (4) so that multiple sheets may be separated from the stack before being transported. The frictional engagement between the separating member (4) and the stack varies as the separating member rotates, so that only one sheet is separated with each rotation. The center of the top sheet (2) is held against the stack by a holding member (3) so that the top sheet buckles only over part of its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mars Incorporated
    Inventors: Andre Gerlier, Roberto Polidoro, David Charles Deaville
  • Patent number: 6682064
    Abstract: A method for dismantling a stack (1) of flat objects (2, 3) piece by piece, in which the top object (2) of the stack (1) is moved in its plane, gripped at its freed edge and removed from the stack (1). The top object (2) is moved against a stop (5), at least in the region of one of its corners (2b), by a movable separating element (6, 6′) and, as a result of further movement, is bent in such a way that it escapes from the stop (5) and is moved out of the stack (1). The invention further relates to an apparatus for dismantling a stack (1) of flat objects (2, 3) piece by piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventors: Willy Leu, Erwin Müller
  • Patent number: 6681828
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for peeling a carrier web having a protective layer from a keeper sheet of image-bearing medium. The carrier web and the protective layer are peeled about a peel member as the keeper sheet moves over and is deformed by a constraining roller located at or downstream of the peel member putting the protective layer in tension. Preferably, at least one of the peel member or the constraining roller has a compliant material covering to facilitate separation of unused portions of the protective layer from edges of the keeper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Polaroid Corporation
    Inventors: Arthur H. Clough, Walter P. Haimberger, Alfredo G. Knaizzeh, William E. Swan
  • Publication number: 20040012139
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a sheet mounting plate, pick-up roller, drive motor and transmission device to prevent an excessive load from being applied to a pick-up roller when no sheets are mounted on a sheet mounting plate. When the sheets on the sheet mounting plate run out, a sheet detecting actuator of the sheet feeder fits into an opening formed on the sheet mounting plate. Accordingly, a protrusion of a drive actuator slides along a groove formed on the sheet detecting actuator, which causes the drive actuator and a drive interrupting boss to move. With this structure, transmission of drive force to the pick-up roller is interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Takatoshi Takemoto
  • Publication number: 20040012138
    Abstract: A document feeding system is disclosed in this present invention. The document feeding system according to this invention can improve the document transfer by employing a carrying device with multiple rotating speeds. Thus the mistakes during the document transfer, such as terminating the document transfer, destroying the document, can be prevented by the above-mentioned document feeding system. Moreover, because an accurate calculation in the disposition of elements in the document feeding system is not necessary, the manufacturing of the above-mentioned document feeding system is simpler than the manufacturing of the document feeding system in the prior art. Hence, this invention can not only improve the efficiency of a document transfer, but also simplify the manufacturing process of a document feeding system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventors: Po-Hua Fang, Bi-Chun Chen
  • Publication number: 20040007807
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a paper sheet managing device is provided. The sheet managing device includes a storage part for storing paper sheets and sheet supply means for supplying a paper sheet from the storage part. The sheet supply means comprises a pick up roller extending in a sheet width direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction, a drive shaft extending parallel to the pick up roller and rotationally driving the pick up roller and a plurality of power transmitting means for transmitting a power from the drive shaft to the pick up roller. The plurality of power transmitting means is disposed at at least both ends of the pick up roller and each of the plurality of power transmitting means comprises a gear train that links the drive shaft and the pick up roller and an arm that oscillates the pick up roller. The driving shaft includes processing that prevents rotational phase shifts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventor: Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 6648322
    Abstract: A paper feeding device for a printer. The device includes a paper feeding cassette to load a plurality of paper sheets, and a driving power source. A driving gear is driven by the driving power source, and a passive gear rotates interlockingly with the driving gear. A first link is provided, with one end pivotally installed on a rotation shaft of the driving gear, and another end coupled to a rotation shaft of the passive gear. A pickup gear rotates interlockingly with the passive gear, and a second link is provided, with one end rotatably installed on the rotation shaft of the passive gear, and with another end coupled to a rotation shaft of the pickup gear. A pickup roller is coaxially coupled to the pickup gear, to simultaneously rotate and press the paper so as to feed the paper sheets one by one into the printer body. A supporting arm is provided, with a first end coupled to a rotation shaft of the pickup roller, and a second end pivotally installed on a side of the printer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-ho Park
  • Publication number: 20030193128
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a cassette for containing a plurality of stacked sheets, a holding member for holding sheets from above, a pickup roller which contacts the uppermost sheet from above during one rotation, thereby feeding and transporting the uppermost sheet, a rotatable subsidiary holding member which is rotated in synchronization with a rotation of the pickup roller and in the same rotating direction as the pickup roller, and contacts and holds the sheets from above during each rotation before the pickup roller contacts the uppermost sheet. The distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the rotatable subsidiary holding member which contacts the uppermost sheet is equal to, or greater than the distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the pickup roller which contacts the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Takai
  • Patent number: 6626427
    Abstract: A self-adaptive sheet feeding roll for reliably feeding, within a sheet feeding apparatus, sheets of various and different sheet weights along a sheet path. The self-adaptive sheet feeding roll includes (a) a cylindrical core having a longitudinal axis and an outer surface; (b) a compliant surface layer formed over the outer surface of the cylindrical core and having an external surface and a given layer thickness; and (c) a series of spaced apart, non-radial slots formed from the external surface into the compliant surface layer and defining a series of spaced apart blade portions within the compliant surface layer for adaptively compressing and deforming against, and responsively to, sheets of various and different sheet weights, thereby self-adjusting a normal force Fn as well as a sheet driving force Fd thereof and enabling reliable feeding, within a sheet feeding apparatus, of such sheets of various and different sheet weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Injae Choi, Ming Yang
  • Patent number: 6622888
    Abstract: A product metering napkin dispenser includes a housing defining a storage magazine for receiving a stack of folded napkins and a metering member that penetrates the stack in order to segregate a predetermined number of napkins from the remainder of the stack for dispensing. Preferred embodiments include gravity feed napkin dispensers. In various embodiments the metering member may include: a pivoting plate cooperating with a hinged trap door support surface; a rotating semicircular disk co-rotating with a support disk; or a reciprocating jaw assembly urging napkins through an aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce T. Boone, Gregory D. Budz, Michael R. Kilgore, Jonathan R. Aumann, James B. Christensen
  • Patent number: 6616138
    Abstract: Resilient supporting member for resiliently supporting the lower edge of recording paper sheets is provided near a lower part of a back plate of a paper sheet feeding apparatus. The resilient supporting member includes a rocking support piece and a spring. When the recording paper sheets are inserted into the paper sheet feeding apparatus, the rocking support piece is angularly displaced about an axis extending perpendicularly to the paper sheet feeding direction and absorbs the impact force generated in inserting the recording paper sheets, whereby the rocking support piece is pressed against a predetermined holding portion by an upwardly directed spring force and the angle that the receiving face of the rocking support piece makes with the supporting face of the back plate is held at an angle &thgr;1 suitable for paper sheet feeding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hironori Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20030160380
    Abstract: A self-adaptive sheet feeding roll for reliably feeding, within a sheet feeding apparatus, sheets of various and different sheet weights along a sheet path. The self-adaptive sheet feeding roll includes (a) a cylindrical core having a longitudinal axis and an outer surface; (b) a compliant surface layer formed over the outer surface of the cylindrical core and having an external surface and a given layer thickness; and (c) a series of spaced apart, non-radial slots formed from the external surface into the compliant surface layer and defining a series of spaced apart blade portions within the compliant surface layer for adaptively compressing and deforming against, and responsively to, sheets of various and different sheet weights, thereby self-adjusting a normal force Fn as well as a sheet driving force Fd thereof and enabling reliable feeding, within a sheet feeding apparatus, of such sheets of various and different sheet weights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Injae Choi, Ming Yang
  • Patent number: 6575451
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a cassette for containing a plurality of stacked sheets, a holding member for holding sheets from above, a pickup roller which contacts the uppermost sheet from above during one rotation, thereby feeding and transporting the uppermost sheet, a rotatable subsidiary holding member which is rotated in synchronization with a rotation of the pickup roller and in the same rotating direction as the pickup roller, and contacts and holds the sheets from above during each rotation before the pickup roller contacts the uppermost sheet. The distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the rotatable subsidiary holding member which contacts the uppermost sheet is equal to, or greater than the distance between a rotation axis and that surface of the pickup roller which contacts the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Takai
  • Patent number: 6523820
    Abstract: A non-planar single sheet separator wall preferably inclined at about 25° from the vertical away from a paper stack first engages the side corners of the leading edge of a sheet of paper or other media picked from the top of the generally horizontal or downwardly inclined stack by a roller or pusher and causes the corners of the sheet to first curl upwardly along the wall before the central portion of the leading edge of the sheet engages the central portion of the separator wall. The separator wall configuration substantially eliminates downward curling of one or both leading corners of a sheet which is purposely upwardly bowed by an elastomeric pad near the center of the separator wall to reduce multi-sheet picks and separator jams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Michael Gustafson, Paul McCarty
  • Patent number: 6503010
    Abstract: A paper pickup apparatus in a printer for pivotally moving by a motor includes a driving shaft rotated by the motor, a first pickup housing having at least one first transmission gear and first and second end portions, the first end portion mounted to the driving shaft, the first transmission gear transmitting torque from the driving shaft, a second pickup housing having at least one second transmission gear and being rotatably mounted to the second end portion of the first pickup housing, the second transmission gear transmitting torque from the first pickup housing, a connecting portion for connecting the first and second pickup housing with each other, the first pickup housing being rotatable to the second pickup housing centering thereon, and a pickup roller mounted to the second pickup housing and rotated by torque from the second transmission gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung-Sik Jeong
  • Publication number: 20020190457
    Abstract: A roller assembly for a single sheet feeder includes a stack damper which is rotatably suspended on or near a pre-feed roller axis to prevent buckling of thin media sheets and to impart a slight bend to thick media sheets during sheet movement by the pre-feed roller. The stack damper has a surface which extends from a location proximate the pre-feed roller parallel to the surface of a stack of media from which individual sheets are to be removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventor: Glenn Gaarder
  • Publication number: 20020190459
    Abstract: A replaceable roller bogie for a single sheet feeder includes pre-feed and separation rollers mounted on a frame which also has a frame positioning lever thereon. Roller drive gears are mounted between spaced plates on the frame and include a pre-feed roller clutch gear with elastomeric teeth which is mounted in slots on the frame which limit motion travel of the clutch gear to prevent over engagement of gear teeth on the clutch gear with gear teeth on the pre-feed roller drive gear. The replaceable bogie is pivotally supported on the sheet feeder and held in place by a manually operable release and latch mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Glenn Gaarder, Mark Randolph Marrs